CUTE×GUY: Difference between revisions
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* [[Adults Are Useless]]: Either adults are conspicuous in their [[Parental Abandonment|absence]] or [[Played for Laughs|humorous]] for their [[Comedic Sociopathy]]. There are only four adult characters in the series who are of any significance to the plot (not counting Doctor M): Sumi's father, her mother, Kyouko-sensei, and Shizuka's father.
* [[Bit Character]] doubling as a [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Miyoko, better known as "Miyo-chan", a friend of Sumi's. Mitsuru had a crush on her in the first volume, but she rejected his [[Love Confession|confession]] and was only mentioned once after that. However, as Sumi describes her, Miyoko is a plain-looking girl, not a "flamboyant beauty with big breasts",
* [[Gender Bender]]: The single most defining trope of '''''Cute X Guy'''''. The [[Applied Phlebotinum]] that made this trope possible [[In-Universe]] was an experimental formula developed independently by both Dr. Tadaoka and [[The Rival|his rival]], Dr. Nishizawa. At least five characters are [[Gender Bender|"body transformers"]], but each of their individual conditions and circumstances are incredibly different. For one, some of them required a trigger to transform (like Sumi), while others seemed to be able to will the change at their leisure (like Hozumi). And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
** [[First Law of Gender Bending]]: [[Subverted]]. Unlike similar stories wherein [[Gender Bender|genderbent]] characters are "stuck", in '''''Cute X Guy''''', the characters will inevitably return to their original forms given enough time. However, for those like [[The Protagonist|Sumi]], whose transformation is involuntary, it's a chronic problem which (in a realistic setting) would range in [[Angst|severity]] anywhere from "can't eat my favorite food anymore" to "physically incapable of getting to know the person I love as myself". For those with control of their transformations, it was a harmless alternative lifestyle.
** [[Second Law of Gender Bending]]: [[Played With]]. All of them reacted to their condition in different ways, though Sumi and Shizuka and Hozumi and Misaki had the most in common with one another on that front. The latter two adapted quickly and easily to their newfound ability to change genders at the drop of a hat, and they both embraced their other self with a sense of escapism. Sumi and Shizuka were vehemently opposed to this trope, though Sumi was more vocal with her frustration than he was, and although they were willing to use their transformations to their advantage, they were also acutely aware of the more [[Blessed with Suck]] aspects. Interestingly, however, even the most obvious pros and cons to life as either gender were ignored entirely, undoubtedly for the sake of preserving the light-hearted tone of the series.
** [[Third Law of Gender Bending]]: [[Played Straight]]. Although they each have their own personal flair. Hozumi, for one, took to pretty dresses and feminine behavior like a duck to water, but Shizuka retained his usual assertiveness and tendency to confront threats head-on, even as a woman, and never wore a ''skirt'', let alone a dress (though a bikini {{spoiler|and lingerie}} were another matter). On the other end of the spectrum, neither Jun nor Seiji became particularly obsessed with feats of strength or drooling over girls, but they did act like, well, ''[[Bishonen]]''. They were enveloped in clouds of [[Bishie Sparkle|Bishie Sparkles]] and possessed natural, effortless [[The Charmer|charm]], leaving masses of swooning young women in their wake.
* [[Gender Bender Friendship]]: The story's main premise, at least until the other [[Gender Bender|"body transformers"]] started showing up.▼
* [[Hilariously Abusive Childhood|Hilariously]] [[Abusive Parents]]: Sumi and Shizuka's [[Mad Scientist]] fathers inflict gender dysphoria on their children just to use them as lab rats, and Sumi's mother is more interested in making her daughter dress up as a male model, since she wanted a boy anyway. No mention is made of Mrs. Nishizawa's reaction to her son's [[Gender Bender|predicament]], but she is presumably just as indifferent as Sumi's mother. All of this is [[Played for Laughs]], of course.▼
* [[Teacher-Student Romance|Hot for Teacher]]:
* [[Mad Scientist]]: Dr. Takaoka (Sumi's father) and Dr. Nishizawa (Shizuka's father) are the two foremost examples of this trope [[In-Universe]], but Doctor M showed a lot of the warning signs for [[Science-Related Memetic Disorder]], though he didn't stick around long. Still, [[Mad Scientist|Mad Science]] and the [[Applied Phlebotinum|Phlebotinum]] resulting from it has a ''huge'' impact on the story since, without it, there would be no [[Gender Bender|Gender Benders]] running around making things [[Hilarity Ensues|''interesting'']].
* [[Attractive Bent Gender]]: Sumi is your cute but averagely so looking shojo lead. Jun, on the other hand, is tall, toned, and looks older than his years in a good way. Sumi also carries herself better as Jun and seems effortless cool and charming - then you cut to a (still male) Jun freaking out and wondering why just as he's running off somewhere.
▲* [[Bit Character]] doubling as a [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Miyoko, better known as "Miyo-chan", a friend of Sumi's. Mitsuru had a crush on her in the first volume, but she rejected his [[Love Confession|confession]] and was only mentioned once after that. However, as Sumi describes her, Miyoko is a plain-looking girl, not a "flamboyant beauty with big breasts", and caused Sumi to realize that she was rash to believe rumors.
▲* {{spoiler|[[First Guy Wins]]}}
▲* [[Gender Bender Friendship]]: The story's main premise, at least until other [[Gender Bender|"body transformers"]] started showing up.
▲* [[Hilariously Abusive Childhood|Hilariously]] [[Abusive Parents]]: Sumi and Shizuka's [[Mad Scientist]] fathers inflict gender dysphoria on their children just to use them as lab rats, and Sumi's mother is more interested in making her daughter dress up as a male model, since she wanted a boy anyway. No mention is made of Mrs. Nishizawa's reaction to her son's [[Gender Bender|predicament]], but she is presumably just as indifferent as Sumi's mother. All [[Played for Laughs]], of course.
▲* [[Hot for Teacher]]: Kyoko-sensei is very popular amongst the male students at Sumi's school
* [[Mistaken for Gay]]: Whenever Jun is out with Mitsuru giving him 'manliness tips', due to the fact that they look like the archetypical [[Seme]] and [[Uke]], they keep attracting crowds of [[Yaoi Fangirl|fujoshi]]
* [[Sue Donym]]: This how Jun end's up with his surname, the name Jun is a different reading of the same Kanji as Sumi but "Tadano" came into play when Kyoko-sensei asked for Jun's full name again got "Ta da no Jun!" or "It's just Jun!" and misheard it as "[[Names in Japanese|Tadano Jun]]".
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